


superhero confidential

by justjoy



Series: 10% civil 90% war (or, the marvel au) [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Gen, News Media, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-02-23 14:35:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13192143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justjoy/pseuds/justjoy
Summary: A rose, by any other nameEighteen hours with some of our mightiest heroes





	1. Chapter 1

THE FIRST MEMBER OF the Avengers I speak to is Toyama Kazuha, better known as the Black Widow.

"I don't know if we're still really the _Avengers_ , officially, what with the Accords being up in the air and all," Toyama-san says thoughtfully as she helps me through the many non-disclosure agreements and liability waivers required for this interview. "This here's the last one, I swear – it's just in case, so much weird stuff happens when both Heiji and Shinichi-kun are around that our insurance stopped covering it."

If there's a way to respond to that statement, I don't know it.

"Like, alien weird, but also _normal_ weird." She shakes her head as she files the papers away in their respective folders. "Trust me, you don't want ta know."

I do, actually – what could possibly constitute 'weird' around this group of people? – but she hurries me out of the room, and off to meet the rest of the maybe-not-officially-Avengers.

 

* * *

 

LIKE MOST CELEBRITIES, POLITICIANS, and other public figures, the basic facts of the various Avengers' lives are common knowledge, though some more by force than by choice.

Toyama-san, for example, has not been shy about acknowledging her roots, ever since her identity was fully confirmed in her massive online leak of SHIELD data. Fans and martial arts enthusiasts alike often frequent local dojos in hopes of seeing her drop by to give impromptu lessons on practical fighting for self-defence.

Her fellow Osakan – Hattori Heiji, aka the Falcon – has been much more vocal about promoting his hometown. It's often joked that he skywrites tourism advertisements on his days off, but meeting him in person actually lends plausibility to this notion.

The duo make up half of the current four-man team, at least on paper.

"Budget cuts, y'know, we're runnin' on a skeleton crew," Hattori-san says laconically when he meets us at the door of the conference room we're using. "Can't be helped."

"You either want us to play nice with the Accords committee or you don't, Hattori, stop complaining. And for the record, I am so blaming you if a skeleton horde actually appears later."

That's said by Kudo Shinichi, whose story – contradictory versions of it, even – has been chronicled in every historical account of the WWII period and the past decade. He has famously refused to comment on the details of his past, except to (just as famously) confirm that he has never held any form of American citizenship, nor does he have any plans to.

The last member of the quartet arrives two minutes later, trailed by a robot bearing a sizeable tray.

"Now that you've jinxed it, Kudo-kun, I'll make sure to update the emergency protocols accordingly." Miyano Shiho, formerly known as CEO of Miyano Industries but now as the Iron Lady, steps aside for the robot to roll up to us and place its tray on the table.

Toyama-san promptly ditches me to get a better look at what turns out to be an assortment of snacks. "Ooh, the good stuff! You're the best robot overlord, Shiho-chan."

"Yes, well." Miyano-san produces a holographic display out of nowhere and taps it deftly several times (raising the question of whether the Avengers Tower does, indeed, have contingencies for skeleton invasions) before dismissing it with a wave. "I do have Kudo-kun's metabolism thoroughly documented, though serum effects certainly don't account for Hattori-kun's appetite."

" _Nothing_ accounts for his appetite," says Kudo-san in chorus with Toyama-san.

"It's the only 'enhanced' thing about Heiji, really," the latter adds. "Don't think that was what the Accords meant, though."

Hattori-san doesn't even try to deny either part, though he does look a little abashed when he turns to me. "Anyway – since we're all here, do you want ta start with your first question?"

Watching them interact like this – that is to say, without any active threat to our continued existence – is engaging enough in itself, but I gladly take the opportunity to broach the topic that's already been mentioned three times: the Sokovia Accords.

As often happens in cases where the evidence mostly amounts to opaquely-worded press releases and supposedly credible inside sources, speculation about the Accords has run rampant, drawing conspiracy theorists out of the global woodwork. In this case, though, the truth seems rather more mundane than fiction, if more convoluted at turns.

For starters, they're now known as the United Peace Accords, dropping all references to the Sokovia disaster and other past incidents.

"We wanted a name that reflected the actual goal of this agreement – or _our_ goals, at least," Kudo-san explains with a slight frown. "Not something seemingly guaranteed to incite reaction with everyone involved."

Does the change reflect a similarly major shift in the Accords' content?

This gets several wry smiles around the table.

"There was a little... difference in opinion, let's just say," ventures Toyama-san, to a badly-concealed snort from Hattori-san.

"Suffice to say, some parts of the regulations were more controversial than others." It's Miyano-san who takes up the narrative – perhaps surprisingly, for those who have heard rumours of her staunch support for the Accords. "Which our two – _gentlemen_ – here took upon themselves to bend and break entirely, until they uncovered a plot to attack the UN ratification summit in Vienna. Fortunately, this gave us enough leverage to push for major changes to the Accords, and a much longer grace period."

"Kudo and I are _really_ good detectives, what can I say." Hattori-san grins fiercely. "Just as well, too, the nonsense they were proposing wasn't ever gonna work with us. They're actually letting us talk about this now?"

"Within reasonable bounds, yes." Miyano-san shrugs. "Nothing specific, and nothing that might interfere with the ongoing investigation. I believe they've realised the extent to which no press is, in fact, bad press."

"Took quite a lot of diplomacy to do it, though, which is why _you_ weren't invited," Toyama-san quips. It's intriguing to watch her expression flip from the neutral one that's made her the public face of the Avengers to pulling a face at Hattori-san and back again.

It's also a much-needed reminder that superheroes don't stop being people, even when they're on the job.

Kudo-san rolls his eyes at their antics and looks over at me. "And they call this a team. Next question?"

 

**PAGE 1  >>**  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> somewhat references [part seven](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13019307/chapters/30147693) of the xmas drabbles
> 
>  ~~is there more to this? maybe, but marking as complete for now since it basically is~~ ok never mind
> 
> also we've officially diverged from general mcu canon i guess, congrats


	2. Chapter 2

**< < PAGE 2 >>**  
  


 

WE'RE NEARLY THREE HOURS INTO what is proving to be a very enlightening interview when another holographic screen pops up with a muted _ping_.

Miyano-san barely spares it a glance before standing up and striding around the table to the door. "Your new wings are done, Hattori-kun, I need to do the flight test."

"Huh?" Hattori-san looks up in apparent surprise, even though I'm certain that this moment has been planned all along.

"I'm going to tell the fabrication bots to paint them red and gold if you're not at the lab in fifteen," comes the reply from the hallway.

One exclamation of extreme dismay later, and we're left with the three of us and a suddenly-awkward silence in the room. I take the chance to swap out my voice recorder's batteries – I have the feeling that I'm going to need them, for whatever's coming up next.

When I look back up again, the two remaining Avengers are apparently having a silent but slightly heated discussion by looks and the occasional shrug.

It's Toyama-san who looks away first, while Kudo-san takes a deep breath, as if he's bracing himself for something. "You know who Ran is, right? Mouri Ran."

It's almost a ridiculous question, in this context.

Among most of the younger generation, the first thing that comes to mind about the good Captain's second-in-command is not the utter scandal (at the time, at least) of her having been revealed to be a woman all along, while the dust of WWII was still busy settling down.

Or perhaps it still is, just in a different sense – her story has morphed into a second Mulan of sorts, a fierce fighter who'd taken up arms to stand beside her childhood friend on the other end of a war. Girls grew up wanting to be that brave, to be just like her, never mind the staggeringly complex politics of the situation.

So to answer the question: yes, I know who Mouri Ran is.

This much is evident, because Kudo-san continues on a surprising turn. "What about the Winter Soldier?"

Now this question, unlike the last, is rather more complicated.

This much is known: somewhere between the events spanning the attack on SHIELD director Yamato Kansuke and the smoking ruins of that same agency in the Sumida River, the Winter Soldier went from an unlikely ghost story to a too-real spectre of death.

Eyewitness reports agree on the salient details: a woman of slender build, metal arm, and long hair. Filling the blanks of history with the SHIELD files gives us the rest: a list of kills confirmed or suspected, stretching back an improbable number of decades.

But that is all we have – facts that sketch the outline of a person, and nothing that fills that gap. We know increasingly more of what the Winter Soldier is, but nothing about who she is.

Not just yet, at least.

I say as much to Kudo-san, who nods, then hesitates for the first time in our time so far. "That was the first time I met the Soldier, yes. But the truth is – "

His voice falters and stops.

"It's alright, Shinichi, I can speak for myself," says a soft voice from the door, and I turn to see Mouri Ran standing there, metal arm and long hair gleaming dully in the low light.

 

* * *

 

THERE IS NO EASY OR KIND WAY to say this: Mouri Ran, one of the heroes of WWII, has also been the Winter Soldier in the intervening decades since.

None of it was by her will, as both Cap and Widow make certain to emphasise to me several times afterwards.

(There is also no mistaking that the two are acting as something larger than their usual selves, in this matter. They are each the quiet to the other's fire, and it is not at all difficult to see the same people who stared down both the Cabinet and National Diet – and, by all accounts, 117 of the UN's 193 countries – and willed them to blink first.)

At the time of this interview, the wheels of judicial systems both domestic and international have already begun to turn. Japan abolished its statute of limitations on murder in late April of 2010, meaning that cases dating from 1995 and onwards are still up for prosecution, and the possibility of extradition is still not entirely off the table yet.

But any and all trials will be strictly closed to the public, at least until the final verdict is released, and Mouri-san will be accorded all considerations due her status as a prisoner of war under extreme duress.

"I made it a non-negotiable condition of accepting the Accords," Kudo-san explains, in a brusque summary of what must have been an uphill fight against the many parties involved. "If we're going to sign over any part of our rights as enhanced individuals, we also need to recognise what happens when that power and responsibility falls into the wrong hands."

All this comes later, though. What follows is a short transcript of that initial conversation between myself and Mouri Ran, in what will likely be the first of many accounts of her time as the Winter Soldier and beyond.

 

* * *

 

>  
> 
> **HH:** Thank you for taking the time to speak to me today, Mouri-san.
> 
> **MR:** Just call me Ran, please. I'm sorry if this came as a bit of a nasty surprise, we weren't sure how you would react to the news.
> 
> **HH:** It's – honestly speaking? I'm still trying to process it, but I almost can't believe that I'm actually talking to you in person. You've always been one of my heroes.
> 
> **MR:** [ _with a slight smile_ ] If it's any consolation, that's a little weird for me to hear as well. Most of the publicity was focused on Shinichi during the war, no one outside of SSR and the Army really knew who the rest of the Howling Commandos were, but then we ended up here and... [ _she cuts herself off with the wave of one hand_ ] I'm sorry, that's not really what you wanted to talk about, is it?
> 
> **HH:** Well, I think most of us want to know what happened between 1945 and now, but I'd be happy to discuss whatever topic you prefer, Ran-san.
> 
> **MR:** To be frank, I don't really remember all of it – I'm still getting memories back here and there, but most of it's badly scrambled, both in terms of time and place.
> 
> **TK:** Like when you wake up from a long nap and suddenly don't know if it's still the same day, y'know? Except worse.
> 
> **HH:** That must've been very confusing for you, Ran-san.
> 
> **MR:** It was. I had all these notebooks that I wrote things in, I was so afraid of forgetting again. It was really lucky for me that K- I mean, Widow released all those SHIELD files online, otherwise I really would've wondered if I was just going crazy. [ _turns towards Toyama-san_ ] I don't think I've ever thanked you for that, Kazuha-chan.
> 
> **TK:** That's the first time anyone's ever said that to me! [ _chuckles_ ] You're definitely welcome, Ran-chan.
> 
> **MR:** Really, I don't know what I would've done without you. All of you. [ _turns back to me, taking out a piece of paper_ ] It's not entirely complete – my lawyer's instructed me to redact the details until after the trial – but we've been able to piece together the events from then until now. Most of them, at least.
> 
> [ _An annotated version of this document has been reproduced on the following page of this article._ ]
> 
> **HH:** I'm a reporter, I understand having more questions than answers. I really appreciate you trusting me with this information, Ran-san.
> 
> **MR:** I don't like talking about it, but – [ _shrugs_ ] Like Shinichi's always saying, there's only one truth, right?
> 
> **KS:** [ _a little tersely_ ] Yeah.
> 
> **MR:** Shinichi? [ _reaching for his hand_ ] I thought we'd agreed on this, people are going to find out after the trial and –
> 
> **KS:** – and you want to do it on your own terms, yeah. It's just... [ _he takes her hand with a sigh_ ] All those years, and I never had a clue.
> 
> **TK:** You were off bein' an ice cube for most of those years, Shinichi-kun, I think you're excused. Don't think even Holmes solved any mysteries while he was dead.
> 
> **KS:** Well, actually –
> 
> [ _All three of them laugh at some apparently shared joke, breaking the tension in the atmosphere._ ]
> 
> **MR:** You found me in the end, that's what matters. [ _glances over at me, still smiling_ ] These parts I definitely remember – this tiny scrap of a detective picking fights everywhere, trying to solve every mystery in town. Even though he was sick most of the time. Like having the worst younger brother you've never wanted, I swear.
> 
> **HH:** [ _laughs_ ] Oh, I can definitely relate to that, I know the type.
> 
> **MR:** Right?
> 
> **HH:** Yeah. To wrap this up, then – is there anything you want to say to the readers?
> 
> **MR:** Just... I'd like to apologise to everyone I've hurt by my actions, both directly or otherwise. I know it won't fix anything, and I understand if you never accept this apology, but – [ _she bows_ ] I'm very sorry, and I'll do everything in my power to make up for it.
> 
> **HH:** And what would you like to do after this? Anything specific?
> 
> **MR:** Well, there's the trial first, of course. Who knows how long that'll take. After that – I really have no idea, actually. Kazuha-chan's invited me to go crash dojos –
> 
> **TK:** Hey now, I don't _crash_ things, that's Heiji you're thinking of –
> 
> **MR:** – with her anytime, but I've been thinking about travelling a bit with Shinichi and everyone else? See places when they're not halfway being blown up, catch up on the things I've missed.
> 
> **HH:** Wherever the wind takes you, then?
> 
> **MR:** [ _smiles and nods_ ] Yeah, just like that. I think I've had enough of plans for a while, you know?
> 
>  

**< < PAGE 2 >>**  
  


 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops, i say, dumping another 1.6k words to the fire
> 
> last part to happen whenever it does, and if i don't see you guys before then – happy new year in advance!


	3. Chapter 3

**< < PAGE 3 >>**  
  


 

TOYAMA-SAN FETCHES US SOME much-needed coffee and cookies after that talk.

The cookies are amazing. I have a sudden and unbidden mental image of an Avengers recruitment poster: Join Us, We Have Cookies!

Kudo-san tells me, with obvious pride, that the cookies were made by Ran-san last night.

"I bake when I can't sleep. Or when I'm stressed. Keeps better than cooking," she explains, with careful but growing enthusiasm. "There's so many new kinds of food available now, plus all the appliances! And – uh, a metal arm's really convenient for handling hot trays, it turns out."

"And turning takoyaki!" Toyama-san adds with glee. "Heiji's super jealous of that, trust me. Coulda knocked him over with a feather when ya first pulled that stunt."

Such is the mundane utility of enhanced abilities, I suppose. I reach for another cookie – with chocolate and almonds, this time, although it tastes like there's some coffee mixed in there as well. "Have you ever considered opening a bakery, Ran-san?"

"I haven't, no," Ran-san says thoughtfully, nibbling on an oatmeal raisin.

"Ya could sell them through the coffeeshop at the lobby," suggests Toyama-san, stirring sugar into her latter. "Donate the proceeds to charity, if you like."

Which brings me back to the yet unexplained mystery of where Toyama-san obtained our drinks in such short order, since she was hardly gone long enough to leave the floor we're on, let alone stop by any coffeeshop.

Toyama-san catches me looking, and gestures at the ceiling. "Ya know how they say the walls have ears? Actually true in this building – well, more than it usually is."

I wisely decide not to enquire on this thread any further. "So, what now? I assume you have something planned."

"You'd be correct, actually," answers Kudo-san instead. "Do you know how to fight, by any chance?"

"Well, my father taught me some basic hand-to-hand, that kind of thing," I hedge, hoping that I'm not about to be asked to participate in some spar against any of the Avengers.

Toyama-san appears to guess at my concern accurately, because she laughs. "Oh, don't worry about it! It's just that Heiji should be about done with the first round of tests by now, and we've got something interesting scheduled for the next. You'll see."

 

* * *

 

WHAT I SEE TURNS OUT TO BE THIS: the last few minutes of the flight test starring Falcon and Iron Lady, though at this point I'm fairly certain it's devolved somewhat from organised trials to Hattori-san just doing his level best to push the limits of his new wingpack.

I have absolutely no complaints, though.

Anyone who's ever watched any footage of the Avengers' fights – and who hasn't, really? – can probably attest to how oddly graceful it can be, like a particularly well-choreographed sequence. This is no different.

Even standing behind several inches of bulletproof glass (repulsor blasts and a vibranium shield are rather more challenging to defend against, Miyano-san informs me later), you can almost feel the downwash of Falcon's wings as he loops and rolls through the air in the world's most technologically advanced game of dodge.

I'm almost disappointed when Miyano-san calls a stop to the exercise, until I realise she's coming down to hover just past the window of the observation deck, still fully suited up.

Her voice comes over the speakers without so much as a crackle, though it sounds oddly computerised. "Ready to go, Cap? Or do you need a warm-up round?"

"Hey!" retorts Kudo-san without much heat. "I _am_ old, okay, you should respect your elders."

"You must be confusing yourself with Agasa-hakase again," she harrumphs before firing up her suit again. "Fine then, you get fifteen minutes, I need to adjust the yaw control on Falcon's suit anyway."

Kudo-san glances over at the others as she flies away again. "Guys?"

Ran-san's already nodding – I get the feeling that she's the only one on this team who might insist on proper exercise procedures.

"Nah, I'll pass. I need ta go talk Shiho-chan into spraypainting those wings, y'know?" Toyama-san waves one hand nonchalantly, though she turns to me with a wink and a singsong tone before leaving. "You're in for a treat, believe me."

I'm wondering, idly, if I'll ever stop feeling more than a little confused around here when I realise that Ran-san's already out on the bare training grounds with Kudo-san.

If the previous exercise was breathtaking, this one is entirely indescribable.

It probably shouldn't be surprising that two supersoldiers' idea of a quick warm up pretty much amounts to a full workout for most of us regular (or fitter-than-average, even) people, but it is. You're quite abruptly reminded that these two were soldiers who served in the frontline of one of our biggest wars, quite aside from representing some of the pinnacles of bioengineering, even if one was via a near-magical serum and the other was more of a hackjob. Not-so-scientifically speaking.

Their spar is quick and fluid, yet there remains a definite force behind every move. I'm no expert in fighting – though I'm beginning to see why Kudo-san asked me about it earlier – but I genuinely don't think they're pulling any punches, except maybe the critical ones.

And with good reason. A full account of Kudo-san's injuries directly following the fall of the helicarriers has still yet to be made public, but anonymous interviews with his medical team have reportedly suggested that they were severe enough to warrant brief but legitimate concerns, even considering his enhanced physiology. The Winter Soldier is likely one of perhaps three who can take on the Captain in a fair fight and maybe win – of the other two, the Hulk is still MIA, and Thor firmly back on Asgard until the Accords are finally resolved.

But looking at them now, there is every ounce of raw skill and power in evidence, yet none of the sheer violence of that fight. Even as I watch, Ran-san manages to get her opponent into a headlock, but Kudo-san only raises his hands in surrender with a laugh, which gets a smile and what looks like a mild admonishment in return.

It's only when a second recess is called that I finally put my finger on what looks so different about this scene: the infamous shield is nowhere in sight. The pair is fighting barehanded, insofar as that term applies when one of the participants has a metal arm.

"Kudo's terrible about droppin' his defence when he doesn't have the shield," explains Hattori-san as he comes back into the room and makes a beeline for what I'm realising must be the Avengers' gym lockers. "Not so's that anyone would usually notice, but we're all about trying to fix things now. Could make a crucial difference in some fight."

Then motion out the corner of my eye catches my attention. I turn back to the window to see Iron Lady swooping back into the room with the Black Widow clinging onto her back while laughing, which turns into her leaping off with a shriek when Falcon descends upon them like the eponymous bird of prey.

"I'm callin' Heiji and Ran-chan!" Widow shouts as she rolls into a landing straight out of parkour.

" _Again?_ " come two exclamations of apparent dismay.

"It's tradition!" she calls in response as Falcon tosses Cap his shield while a small army of robots roll into the field, and it all descends into chaos from there.

 

**< < PAGE 3 >>**  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....so my chapter count's made me a liar, i guess


	4. Chapter 4

**< < PAGE 4 >>**  
  


 

AS THE AVENGERS TAKE TURNS TO explain afterwards, the last part of what I saw earlier is the latest in their attempts to figure out ways to minimise the collateral damage when they fight.

In this case, it's very much a simulated scenario: Cap and Iron Lady against the remaining three acting as invading hostiles, with the mass of robots standing in for any surrounding civilians.

"It's not the most realistic of situations, of course," says Miyano-san, her expression tight, as she calls up a bank of screens – non-holographic, this time – that show playbacks of their practice fight from various angles. "But we can't level a city every time we do this, and the robots are calibrated to register the equivalent level of damage an average human would sustain."

They spend nearly a full hour picking over the footage and working out ways to cover any gaps. Ran-san remains mostly quiet during this process, which I chalk up to her not actively being in the field as an Avenger, although she does offer suggestions at several points.

Despite their frequent barbs at each other, Miyano-san and Kudo-san actually work surprisingly well together both on and off the battlefield – the playback shows only the rare attack from the other three making it through even with their combined efforts. But, as I gather from the discussion, they're focusing on the big picture, with the end goal of avoiding another inadvertent disaster the next time they fight.

"It's not gonna be easy. Might not even be possible, with the kind of firepower we need ta take down our usual kind of threats," says Hattori-san with uncharacteristic grimness. "But we can't not try."

The sentiment is obviously echoed by the rest, and the mood is still somber when we finally break for dinner.

Kudo-san and Ran-san decide to stay for a quiet night in, while I go with the others to an udon place nearby.

It's my last hour with the Avengers – or so I think, at least. I can't help wondering what's going to come of it.

 

* * *

 

FOLLOWING THE SHIELD DATA LEAK ONLINE, several dedicated dataminers tracked down footage from the past decade – down to shaky handphone video from several major earthquakes – that show the recognisable silhouette of a winged figure swooping down to the literal rescue.

This is, of course, offset by the recent Vine clip of the very same figure rescuing a litter of kittens stuck improbably high up in a tree too withered to climb in an area too densely-packed for a firetruck ladder.

"Not everything is about saving the world, ya know?" was Hattori-san's statement on the viral video when it was brought up at a press conference.

"At least I can say I did it for the Vine," he adds now, when I ask him about it as we're waiting for our noodles.

"And the kittens," says Toyama-san, before dropping to a stage whisper. "He got so attached to them that he cried when we had to give them away."

"Did n– I almost cried. Only _almost,_ " he emphasises.

Toyama-san pats him on the shoulder, commiserating. "Of course. They were very cute kittens."

"With very sharp claws, as well." Miyano-san's words are, perhaps predictably enough, completely unsympathetic – at least, if one forgets about the considerable number of animal shelter fundraisers that Iron Lady has put in appearances at, over many other worthwhile causes. "Perhaps I should start billing you for suit repairs in these events?"

"Or build in a collapsible cat carrier," chimes in Toyama-san.

Hattori-san makes a wounded noise of apparent offense – but fortunately for the tattered shreds of his dignity, our food chooses that moment to arrive.

Which brings us to the next part of the entertainment for this evening.

 

* * *

 

WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH WHAT CLEARLY feels like a oft-repeated spiel from Hattori-kun on the superiority of udon soup in Kansai when someone reaches out to tap on Toyama-san's shoulder.

"Your black jacket's on the back of my couch," she says without looking up from her noodles, as I do a double-take at the newcomer's uncanny resemblance to one Kudo Shinichi.

Not-Kudo-san – who I'm belatedly realising must be Kuroba Kaito, codename Hawkeye, designated archer of the original group of Avengers – pulls a face. "Darn. I was wondering where I'd left it. And can't you even let me sneak up on you once?"

"Nope!" Toyama-san answers cheerfully, glancing up only to bat her eyelashes at him. "I think not stabbing ya when ya try it is good enough, don't ya think? And stop leavin' your clothes at my place, jeez."

"Well, I can't help that we both wear black, it's confusing!" Kuroba-san waves as if he's just noticed me, although I highly doubt that's the case. "Hi, don't mind me, I'm not Cap – "

" _Not_ what you try to convince half the people we meet of," Miyano-san remarks with a raised eyebrow.

"Ain't my fault if they don't watch the news, y'know." Kuroba-san shrugs, already turning to leave, though he pauses to tug at the bow in Toyama-san's ponytail. "Don't wait up for me, honey!"

She slaps at his hands irritably. "Ya mean I'd better not see _yer_ ugly mug before midnight, Kuroba!"

"I'm not Cinderella!" he retorts over one shoulder. "And I'll tell Kudo that you said his face was ugly!"

"What, so he can agree?" she snipes back.

The sheer and obvious familiarity of this routine makes me flick my gaze over to my other dinner companions quickly with an unspoken question: _are they – ?_

Miyano-san rolls her eyes in response. "No, they're just always like this. Apparently normal methods of communication are too much to ask for, around here."

"Rich of ya of all people to talk, neechan," says Hattori-san. "But yeah, lotsa people who meet them make the same mistake. They're certainly idiot enough to match, anyhow."

" _People,_ ya say?" repeats Toyama-san, with sudden glee.

"Shut _up,_ " mutters Hattori-san in retaliation, visibly reddening even under his dark skin.

My reporter senses pick up a definite story there, but before I can poke around any further there's a sudden scream from outside the restaurant.

There's what seems like a collective sigh across the table, but barely any hesitation to match.

"Go, we'll cover the bill and find ya later," says Toyama-san with a wave, though Hattori-san's already half on his feet before she's finished.

He runs off at a fast clip, catching the attention of other patrons and leaving me to stare at the remaining two at the table with confusion. "What – ?"

"Remember the weird stuff I told ya about this morning?" Toyama-san says with a slight wince. "Yeah, something like that."

It seems that I'm getting an answer to the question I didn't ask, after all.

"We'll head over in ten minutes. People tend to freak out when too many Avengers arrive at the same time, for some reason," Miyano-san adds, voice glacier dry with irony.

"Means there's still time for dessert?" Toyama-san declares hopefully.

 

* * *

 

BY THE TIME I ARRIVE alongside the remaining two Avengers, we find Hattori-san deep in conversation with Kudo-san, and officers from Beika's Division One already corralling the gathering crowd at the scene. The portly figure of inspector Megure Juzo is visible behind a cordon of police tape, alongside several of his senior detectives.

"Looks pretty serious," Toyama-san observes in an undertone. It's easy to forget how distinctive the Osakan accent she shares with Hattori-san is until it drops away, leaving her to sound just like any other Tokyo native.

"Double homicide, it seems." Beside me, Miyano-san has her handphone out, and is flicking between screens – SNS feeds and others that pass too quickly for me to catch. "I'll notify the others, you go ahead."

Toyama-san tugs the hood of her dark grey jacket up, and slips into the crowd with barely a nod.

The Avengers do indeed have a protocol for such events, it seems. I probably shouldn't be surprised about any of this – but I am, nevertheless.

Miyano-san finishes tapping out one last message on her phone and looks up, eyes narrowing as she glances around. I wonder what she sees.

I wonder what each of them see, really.

More than any other of today's encounters (planned or unplanned) this last incident is what firmly brings home the reality of the people behind the heroes. That they chose the lives they lead now has made as much of a difference to us as to them, and it is a decision deserving of credit where it is due, much as that seems to be forgotten of late.

 

* * *

 

IT'S JUST OVER TWO HOURS LATER when the case gets resolved. I stay with Miyano-san on the periphery of the crowd for the most of it, having declined her offer to have someone bring my car around from the Tower. There's a dicey moment when the final suspect tries to make a run for it, but a swift cement-breaking kick of a trashcan lid right into his path quickly dissuades that notion.

Toyama-san reappears from seemingly nowhere soon after, the two apparent detectives following along in her wake. The intent seriousness from earlier has dissipated, leaving what could've just as easily been a group of old friends out for a late-night outing in the hubbub of Tokyo.

Kudo-san, I learn, had literally just stepped out from the Tower to buy a pint of ice-cream.

"It's statistically improbable, yeah, running into a murder on your grocery run," he agrees, wincing, as we wait for our respective elevators.

Hattori-san loops a friendly arm around his shoulder. "No one introduce ya to online shopping yet, Kudo? Delivers right to yer doorstep."

"Looks who's calling the kettle black," Kudo-san mutters with a snort. "At least it wasn't another alien incident this time."

"Or an actual skeleton horde, of course," says Hattori-san.

There's a collective groan from all the assembled Avengers.

"Catnip. _In your suit lining,_ " I hear Miyano-san warn in a distinctly menacing voice, followed by Toyama-san's "I'll take the video!" in jarringly cheerful tones.

Hattori-san gulps nervously just as the elevator door closes.

It's a memorable end to my day with the Avengers, all told.

**< < PAGE 4 >>**  
  


 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdfal;skdfja;lsdkjfa;sldkfj


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second (and final) of two chapters posted today, read the previous if you haven't already!

**< < PAGE 5 **

 

MY ORIGINAL AGREEMENT WITH THE AVENGERS was for eight hours, which stretched to an unexpected ten. I'd left with my recorder and notes, article already writing itself in my head, and hadn't expected to see them again.

So imagine my surprise when I'm greeted one morning not long after by none other than Ooka Momiji, former assistant to Miyano Shiho and current CEO of Miyano Industries, standing at my apartment door.

"Good morning," she says with a smile. "May I come in?"

I nod, a little dumbly, and step aside to let her in.

"We're both busy women, I know, so I'll endeavour to be quick." Ooka-san's manner is brisk, despite the distinctly old-fashioned Kyoto accent. "On behalf of Ran-san and the rest of the Avengers, I am extending a formal request for you to attend her trial."

"Me?" I ask, in a miraculously even voice. "I thought it was a closed trial?"

"To the general public, yes, but I believe we can agree that you do not fall into that category." She extends a manila folder in one manicured hand. "The requisite documents are in here. My legal department will take care of the rest if you are amenable, of course, but to summarise: paper and film camera only, no electronic devices of any sort, and Ran-san reserves the final right to veto anything you intend to publish."

I flip through the folder on automatic. Legal issues and other matters of the court have never been my beat, but a quick scan of the documents within clearly supports Ooka-san's words. "When do I have to decide by?"

"Tomorrow, if at all possible. My number's in there as will, and there's another number to contact if you have any questions." Ooka-san gestures for me to take my work bag, and walks with me to the stairs. "Now, I shan't delay you any longer. Iori can take you to your office, or wherever your destination may be."

_Iori who?_ I'm about to ask, but that question at least is answered when we reach the ground floor to find a chauffeured silver Mercedes idling outside my block.

I get into the car without much protest – my first assignment of the day is far enough out of town that I'd been concerned about making it on time by the subway – but turn around to find Ooka-san still standing on the sidewalk. "You're not coming?"

She shakes her head, shouldering her purse. "I have something to do for now, I'll send for Iori later. Consider this a token of my appreciation if you will."

"Whatever for?" Puzzlement is a mild word for it – if anything, I should be the one grateful for a chance to report on this story.

"Ran-san is an absolutely sweet person, but the impending trial has put considerable strain on her – understandable, but also quite regrettable," Ooka-san adds. "Meeting you during that interview seems to have alleviated some of that worry, or so Kazuha-chan tells me. You learn to appreciate friends very quickly in this line of work."

Am I a friend of the Avengers now? They certainly never stop surprising me, it seems. "Will you send Ran-san my best wishes, please?"

"But of course." She dips her head in agreement. "And I'll look forward to hearing back from you. Off you go, then."

And with that, we're leaving her in the rearview mirror. I give Iori-san the address I'm headed to, then settle down for a more thorough read of the documents Ooka-san has given to me.

It takes no small amount of looking up legal terms, and several discreet (and very, very vague) calls to the few lawyers among my contacts, but I finally reach a decision just as we arrive.

"Thank you for the ride, Iori-san," I say when he walks around to open my door. "And I'll call her myself later, but can you tell Ooka-san that I'd like to attend the trial?"

"It was no trouble at all," he replies with a bow. "Momiji-sama will be very pleased to hear that news, without a doubt."

Then he's driving off as well, leaving me to stand on the sidewalk and wonder, yet again, what I've gotten myself into.

 

* * *

 

AND THAT IS HOW I FIND MYSELF standing outside the Tokyo High Court one cold December morning, press pass looped around my neck.

"Hey, reporter neechan!" comes a shout from behind me, and I turn to see Hattori-san approaching at a quick jog. "Glad ya could make it, they're starting in an hour."

I hurry after him through one of the side entrances, though we have to make an additional stop to deposit the bag with my laptop and handphone at a security post.

Thusly armed with only a notepad, several pens, and a film camera that hasn't seen use for too long, I follow the Falcon down a long hallway towards what must be the trial of the century.

 

* * *

 

I WILL SPARE READERS AN ACCOUNT OF the excruciatingly detailed proceedings that are even more unavoidable in a case as momentous as this one.

Suffice to say that real courts are nowhere as exciting as the average television drama would have you believe, especially for the uninitiated observer – between the cross-examination of several expert witnesses and copious mention of precedents, I can readily admit that a lot of the finer details were beyond my grasp. And, in all likelihood, the happenings of this trial will themselves be examined by people much more knowledgeable than myself if and when they are released for public perusal.

My focus falls instead on the people involved. This is the last day of the Winter Soldier trial, as it will come to be known, and the tension in the courtroom is almost palpable.

The Avengers – all the key members this time, not just the official four – take up almost the entire first row of benches by themselves. They present a united front, arrayed as they are with Kudo-san at the centre, flanked by Hattori-san and Toyama-san on either side. The two men lean forward, intent expressions on their faces, and occasionally exchange short conversations in low whispers.

(I'm abruptly reminded that both have been involved in criminal cases before, though this may well be their first time not being on the side of the prosecution.)

Only Miyano-san is conspicuously missing, an absence soon explained when she is called up as a witness for the defense.

The faces in the second row are less familiar, though I can recognise Ooka-san, a few SHIELD ex-agents (including its former deputy director Uehara Yui), Sonoko-san of the Suzuki zaibatsu, and oddly enough, another young woman who bears a strange resemblance to Mouri Ran.

Ran-san herself is seated with the defense counsel, hair tied back in a low ponytail and wearing a dark grey suit that covers all but the hand of her metal arm, which itself is hidden in a skin-coloured glove. If it's an intentional ploy to look as harmless as possible, it's a reasonably successful one.

She looks more calm than almost everyone else in the room, save perhaps the three-judge panel and Toyama-san.

I'm not sure if it's real, or merely a very good front – but either way I know that I can't possibly imagine what Ran-san is feeling right now, being tried for nearly sixty years of crimes that used her very person as a weapon.

I don't think any of us can.

 

* * *

 

(WHEN I ASK HER LATER, Ran-san considers the question for a long moment before answering. "I suppose... well, I probably shouldn't be saying this, but I was ready to accept whatever verdict they gave me. Even – especially if it was a guilty one. That's its own kind of calm, I guess."

Here, she pauses, obviously thinking on her next words, and I wait out the silence.

"None of this morally absolves me, I know – I'll carry that weight of what I did with me for however long I live, and I don't think I'll ever be done paying for it." Then she smiles, wan but genuine. "But I'm also glad that they cleared me of all charges. Anything beyond that can wait, at least for a while."

The Avengers and their friends mill around us in a loose cluster – they haven't really left Ran-san's side since the moment the verdict was announced, and I can already hear the distinct chatter of late dinner plans being made.

Standing right beside her, Kudo-san murmurs something in her ear that gets a surprisingly high-pitched laugh out of her, before he turns to me with a loose grin that I've only seen in monochrome videos out of 1944.

Ran-san's smile is more tentative, but I see a new light in her eyes, one I hadn't even known to miss. "Will you join us for dinner, Hondou-san?"

"I would love to, Ran-san, Kudo-san." I stow the writing utensils and camera back inside my newly-reacquired bag – I'm done with being a reporter for the day, too. "And please call me Hidemi. After hours and all that, you know."

"No problem, Hidemi-san," replies Kudo-san. He's about to say something else before we're interrupted by Hattori-san's now-familiar yell above the general din, and Toyama-san waving madly at us from across the room.

"Shall we?" I say, and the two friends out of time curl their arms around each other with matching expressions of something approaching hope, before leading their long way back into the crowd.) ■

**< < PAGE 5 ** 

 

* * *

* * *

_  
_

_Hondou Hidemi is an investigative journalist with Nichiuri Shimbun. An alumnus of the Waseda Journalism School, she also contributed to_ When It Floods, _an award-winning series of reports on the fall of SHIELD and its ramifications for intelligence agencies worldwide._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and this, folks, is why i do not write long(ish)fics
> 
> hope you enjoyed it anyway or something


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